Louver construction for cooling towers



Feb. 8, 1938. R PABQDIE 2,107,496

LOUVER CONSTRUCTION FOR COOLING TOWERS Filed Nov. 16, 1,955 2Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR Robe/ff Paton fa 29 v BY Feb. 8, 1938. R, R A DIE 2,107,496

LOUVER CONSTRUCTION FOR COOLING TOWERS Filed Nov. 16, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT LOUVERCONSTRUCTION FOR COOLING TOWERS Application November 16, 1936, SerialNo. 111,631

Claims.

This invention relates to cooling towers and particularly to a louverarrangement therefor for preventing loss of liquid being cooled in thetower.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a louverarrangement which is efiicient in catching moisture driven by aircurrents transversely through the tower without materially obstructingflow of the air; to provide a louver arrangement cooperative with sidesof the tower to form fines for further reducing loss of moisture becauseof wind currents; to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive louverconstruction capable of ready assembly and attachment to a coolingtower; and to provide a louver construction having a greater total areaof passageways for the air currents thereby permitting maximum air flowthrough the tower.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, ashereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure,the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end portions of a tower provided withlouver sections embodying the feature of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view through a portion of thelouvers taken at one of the catch pans.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the cooling tower on the line 33 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section through a portion of thelouvers and adjacent side of the tower, particularly illustrating thearrangement of louver bars.

Fig. 5 is a section through one of the pans particularly illustratingmounting of the louver bars.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

designates a cooling tower including a foundation 2 consisting of asubstantially rectangular slab 3 supported on the ground and having anannular. wall or curbing d to form a catch basin 5. Formed in the centerof the slab is a sump 6 for collecting liquid draining from the tower l.The sump ii includes a wall 8 conforming in shape to the tower l andwhich connects the slab 3 with the floor 8. The wall 8 provides asupport for the legs or posts N3 of the tower which are arranged inpairs and connected at spaced points by transverse beams H extending insuperimposed spaced relation across the sump 6. The posts H! are alsoconnected longitudinally of thetower by beams I2 having their endssupported on the transverse beams at points adjacent the posts, as shownin Fig. 3.

Supported on the longitudinal beams are decks it including slats Marranged in spaced relation and fixed to transverse cleats l5 extendingacross and supported by the longitudinal beams 2. The structure thusdescribed is stabilized by suitable transverse cross bracing I! as inconventional '5 tower construction. The posts extend above the upperdeck and the respective pairs are connected by transverse beams l8having their ends l9 and projecting beyond the posts and overhanging theslab 3.

Carried by the beams I8 is a distributing system including a conduit 23extending longitudinally of the tower and having depending nozzles 24directed toward the upper deck. The conduit is also provided withlateral branches 25 having L 15 fittings 26 carrying similar nozzles 2',whereby the liquid to be cooled is distributed over the surface of theupper deck. The liquid, upon reaching the upper deck, spreads over thesurface of the deck slats and drips through the spaces therebetween 20to the slats of the next lower deck and so on down the tower until thewater is finally collected in the sump 6, the water being graduallycooled by air currents blowing horizontally between the decks and acrossthe path of the descending 5 droplets of liquid.

The tower thus described is of conventional design and specificallyforms no part of the present invention which may be carried out withother arrangements of splash decks than the type 30 illustrated.

In cooling towers of this type, air currents blowing through the spacesbetween the decks pick up the droplets of liquid and carry them throughthe opposite side of the tower so that they do not reach the sump, andit is the purpose of the present invention to provide a tower withlouvers arranged to allow free passage of air currents necessary incooling the liquid but which form traps for separating any moisturepicked up by the air currents and to effect its return. to the tower tocontinue its descent toward the sump 6.

Located in spaced parallel alignment with each of the tower posts andhaving their lower ends supported on the slab 3 are louver supportingposts 28 and which have their upper ends connected with projecting endsl9 and 26 of the transverse beams l8.

Extending horizontally of the tower legs at spaced points along theheight thereof are horizontal beams 29 for supporting the inner edges 30of catch pans 3! extending upwardly and outwardly at suitable angles todrain liquid caught thereby in the direction of the tower, as laterdescribed. The outer edges of the pans are shaped to provide a series oftriangular projections 32 extending outwardly over the slab 3 with theirvertexes 33 terminating substantially over the inner face of thecurbings l. Theprojecting portions of the pans are supported at thevertexes thereof by vertical posts 34 located adjacent the curbings 4.Fixed to the upper and lower edges of the projections are plates 35 and3% connected by rails 3? having their upper edges projecting above andbelow the respective plates as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. The plates35 and. 36 thus extend in angular relation to the longitudinal directionof the tower and have parallel grooves 38 and 39 extending from theinner side edges iii thereof toward the outer edges t! that engaginglyretain the ends of vertical louver bars 32.

The louver bars comprise flat strips of suflicient length to extend fromthe upper plates of one pan to the lower plates of the next upper panand are of sufficient width so that the inner edges 43 overlap the outeredges 44 of the adjacent bar whereby direct passage of air currents isprevented in transverse directions relatively to the tower. The spacingbetween the respective bars form passageways 45, the total areas ofwhich are substantially equal to or greater than the sectional areabetween the respective decks so as to provide maximum movement of airacross the tower and through the bafiie.

Extending longitudinally of the inner and outer faces at the outer edgesof the louver bars are battens 46 and 41. The outer battens H arepreferably of larger dimension than the inner battens, as shown in Fig.4. The battens not only reinforce and stiffen the louverbars but providestops for catching and retaining any drops of moisture that may becarried in the air moving therebetween. The moisture, upon being stoppedby the baffles, gravitates theredown until the next lower pan isreached, whereupon the moisture runs off the upper plates of the pansand across the pans toward the decks of the tower.

In order to close the space between the outer louver bars at the vertexportion of the pans, the posts 34 carry louver plates 48 fixed to theirouter faces and having their side edges extending beyond the inner edgesof the adjacent louver bars, the edges of the plates 48 being providedwith battens 49 and 50 corresponding to the battens previously describedin connection with the louver bars.

The louver plates carrying the louver bars are preferably connected attheir ends by cleats 5| nailed or otherwise attached to the under sidesthereof, as shown in Fig. 3, and by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. Thejuncture of the louvers at the corners of the tower are closed by fiatplates 52 as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of a tower constructed and assembled as described is asfollows:

A liquid to be cooled, such as water, is delivered to the rows ofnozzles 24 and 2'! through the pipe 23 for substantially uniformdistribution over the slats of the upper deck. The drops of water uponreaching the slats spread thereover and drip from the sides thereofthrough the spaces onto the slats of the next lower deck and so on untilthe water reaches the sump 6. During travel of the droplets of waterfrom one deck to the next, air currents moving transversely between thedecks cool the water incidental to actual contact therewith and byevaporation. At

times the air currents are at such velocity that they pick up drops ofwater and carry them across to opposite sides of the tower in thedirection of the louvers 42, however, the air currents upon engaging thelouver bars, change their direction before they can pass through'thespaces 45 therebetween. Thev air, upon contacting the louvers 52, givesup the drops of moisture which collect on the inner faces of the bafllesand gravitates 'theredown onto the next catch pan, the

battens 45 and il forming stops to prevent blowing off of any of thecollected moisture from the louvers.

Upon reaching the catch pans 3|, the moisture drains thereacross overthe inner edges 30 onto the next lower deck of the cooling tower so thatthe water tending to escape is returned to continue its gravitationalflow from deck to deck of the tower. Any of the moisture stopped by thelowermost section of louvers is caught by the slab 3 which slopes in thedirection of the sump 6 to return the water thereto.

By providing the V-arrangement and staggered relation of. louver bars, Iam able to provide for a maximum total passage having great er capacitythan the cross-sectional area of the spaces between the respectivedecks, so that while i the'bafi'les provide an effective retard forianymoisture'contained in the air currents, they do not act to retard orchoke the volume of air currents that may be moved between the decks.

Attention is also directed to the V-shaped arrangement of the bafileswhich form flues whereby the air currents are caused to move upwardlythereby further reducing their velocity and causing gravitationalseparation of entrained rnoisture. a

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I' have provided a louverarrangement'which is most effective in separating moisture but whichdoes not materially retard or interfere with movement of air currentsacross the cooling tower. Due to the slotted arrangement of the platescarried b their respective catch pans, the louvers are readily assembledand rigidly retained in position so that they are not likely to bebroken down in case of excessive wind velocities.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7 7

1. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans having triangular shaped projections, means supporting thecatch pans at the sides of the tower, louver bars supported along themarginal edges of the triangular shaped projections and arranged inspaced parallel relation, and battens fixed to the inner and outer edgesof the bars.

2. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans having angularly extending outer edges, plates fixed to theupper and lower surfaces of the pans at said angular edges and providedwith parallel spaced rality of superimposed catch pans having angu-.larly extending outer edges, plates fixed to the upper and lowersurfaces of 7 the pans at said angular edges and provided with parallelspaced grooves, louver bars having their upper and lower endssupportedin the grooves of said plates and having the inner side edge of one baroverlapping the opposite side edge of the next adjacent bar,

and water stops secured to the inner and outer surfaces of the louverbars. 4. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality ofsuperimposed catch pans having anguangular shaped projections, meanssupporting the catch pans at the sides of the tower, and louver barssupported along the marginal edges of the triangular shaped projectionsand arranged in spaced parallel relation with the sides of the coolingtower.

6. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans having triangular shaped projections, means supporting thecatch pans at the sides of the tower, louver bars supported along themarginal edges of the triangular shaped projections and arranged inspaced parallel relation with the sides of the cooling tower, andbattens fixed to the outer edges of the bars.

7. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans arranged to slope in the direction of the cooling tower andhaving angularly extending outer edges, plates fixed to the upper andlower surfaces of the pans at said angular edges, and louver bars havingtheir upper and lower ends fixed to said plates and having the innerside edge of one louver bar overlapping the opposite side edge of thenext adjacent louver bar.

8. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans having angularly extending outer edges, plates fixed to theupper and lower surfaces of the pans at said angular edges and providedwith parallel spaced grooves, louver bars having upper and lower endssupported in the grooves of said plates and having the inner side edgeof one bar overlapping the opposite side edge of the next adjacent bar,and guards fixed to the outer edges of the pans in overlapping relationwith the plates.

9. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans having angularly extending outer edges, posts spacing thepans at the juncture of said outer edges of the pan, plates fixed to theupper and lower surfaces of the pans at said angular edges and providedwith parallel spaced grooves, louver bars supported in parallel relationwith the posts and having their upper and lower ends supported in thegrooves of said plates and having the inner side edge of one baroverlapping the opposite side edge of the next adjacent bar, battenstrips fixed to the inner and outer faces at the outer edges of therespective bars, and plates secured to the posts and having projectingouter edges cooperating with the louver bars to divert air currentsblowing through the tower.

10. In combination with a cooling tower, a plurality of superimposedcatch pans in the form of a series of triangular shaped projectionsextending from the sides of the tower, and louver bars supported'betweenthe catch pans and arranged at the outer edges thereof to formsubstantially triangular shaped fiuesbetween the pans.

ROBERT R. PABODIE.

